Storiascopio · Era 3 of 12 · primary year 4
The first Sumerian cities
about 4000 BC · Uruk and Eridu, Mesopotamia (now Iraq)
In short
Between the Tigris and the Euphrates, in the south of today's Iraq, the villages of the Sumerians grew until they became the first cities in the world. Canals dug by hand carried river water to the barley fields, and the harvest was enough to feed even people who did not farm. So new trades were born: potters, weavers, priests and scribes. At the centre of every city stood the temple of its protecting god.
Why it matters With cities begins a way of life made up of different jobs, shared rules and constant exchange.
Source: Treccani, entry “Sumeri”
Where we are in the era “River civilisations”
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about 4000 BCEvent 1 of 25about 1200 BC
Your turn
Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________
When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:
Tell it in your own words: what happened?
Draw the scene below.
storiascopio.com/en/event/the-first-sumerian-cities/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class